The present invention relates to exercise devices for exercising the abdominal muscles of a user and, more particularly, to an improved device for assisting a user in isolating and fully working the muscles of the abdominal wall, among other applications.
Strong muscles of the abdominal wall, i.e., abdominals or xe2x80x9cabs,xe2x80x9d are important for a number of health reasons including support of the back and protection thereof from stress. Exercises for strengthening the abdominals range from relatively simple equipmentless exercises such as the sit-up and the crunch to elaborate machine assisted exercises employing expensive machines. To be effective, such exercises must isolate and work the abdominals while not putting stress on the lower back or engaging the hip flexor muscles. In this regard, many people suffer from lower back pain and while strengthened abdominals can help, care should be taken to ensure that the exercise used to strengthen the abdominals does not itself place further stress on the back.
Sit-ups exercise the full trunk and thus work the thigh flexor muscles as well as the abdominals. In fact, sit-ups work the former more than the latter and thus are less than fully effective in exercising the abdominals. Further, because of the muscles worked, sit-ups can place substantial stress on the low back. Crunches are better than sit-ups insofar as isolating the abdominals but because the movement in performing a crunch is from a position with the back flat on the floor to a crunch position where just the head and shoulders are raised from the floor, the range of motion to which the abdominals are subjected is limited.
Most other exercises for the abdominals, including those performed using exercise machines, rely on the movements associated with sit-ups and crunches and suffer the same basic disadvantages.
Considering some of the patented art in this field, U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,884 to Sharp discloses an abdominal exercise apparatus including an adjustable curved back support against which the lower back of the user rests. The apparatus is used to produce an exercise which is said to isolate, stretch, work and develop the muscles of the abdominal wall, while eliminating in the exercise the use of thigh flexors and the pain that thigh flexors can cause. This patent also includes a detailed discussion of the disadvantages of the prior art including sit-ups and crunches. However, the apparatus disclosed in the Sharp patent itself suffers important disadvantages including the lack of neck support (thus subjecting the neck to possible strain), lack of upper torso support, the apparent lack of easy portability, the lack of versatility in that the apparatus can only be used in abdominal exercise, and the inherent limitations on the capability thereof in increasing the tension exerted on the abdominals.
Other patents of interest in this general field include the following U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,284 to Cayne, U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,876 to Willey, II, U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,647 to Watnik, U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,769 to Nunig and U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,131 to Fong.
In accordance with the invention, an improved exercise device is provided for exercising of the abdominal muscles which isolates and fully exercises or works these muscles while providing support for and stretching of the back as well as having particular support for the head and neck. The device also provides an additional, preferably adjustable, tension or force that must be overcome in carrying out an abdominal exercise using the device. The device is simple and lightweight in construction and in the latter regard, is readily portable. The device can also be used to provide excellent support for a user performing other exercises such as the lifting of free weights.
According to a first aspect of the invention, an exercise device is provided which comprises:
a seat on which, in use of the device in exercising of the abdominal muscles of a user, the user is seated;
a bowed back support member disposed adjacent to the seat and presenting a convex curved surface against which the back and head of the user rest in a backwardly reclining posture in one stage of use;
a belt adapted to fit around the waist of the user during use; and
restraining means mounted on the device and adapted to engage a part of the body of the user, during movement of the user from the backwardly reclining posture wherein the back of the user rests against the convex curved surface to a sitting position, so as to increase the force that must be exerted by the abdominal muscles of the user in carrying out the movement.
Preferably, the restraining means comprises a resilient cord or the like affixed at opposite ends thereof to the back support member and disposed under the back support member so that, in use, portions of the cord extend around the arms of the user and an intermediate portion of the cord between the portions loops behind the back support member.
Advantageously, the resilient cord includes padding at portions thereof which are adapted to extend around the arms of the user.
The back support member includes a midpoint and, in a preferred embodiment, the opposite ends of the cord are affixed to the back support member at points which are located on opposite sides thereof and which are spaced from the midpoint in a direction away from the seat.
Preferably, the device further comprises affixing elements secured to opposite sides of the back support member and connected to the opposite ends of the cord, the affixing elements being sized to enable wrapping a portion of the cord therearound so as to enable the user to adjust the cord tension.
The device preferably further comprises a platform member having a forward portion defining the seat and a rearward portion on which the back support member is mounted, and a platform support member elevating the forward end of the platform member such that the platform member forms an acute angle with a supporting surface for the device. In one implementation, the platform support member is formed integrally with the platform member. Advantageously, the seat further comprises padding on the forward portion of the platform member. In addition, further padding is preferably provided on an outwardly facing surface of the back support member. Advantageously, a head rest is disposed on the further padding for receiving the head of the user in said backwardly reclining position.
Preferably, the device further comprises adjusting means for adjusting the effective length of the back support member. Advantageously, the back support member has a free end and the adjusting means includes an opening in the platform member which is adapted to receive the free end of the back support member and through which a desired length of said free end can be inserted so as to adjust the effective length of the back support member. The device preferably includes retaining means for retaining the free end in place relative to the platform member. In a beneficial implementation, the free end of the platform member includes a plurality of apertures therein at longitudinally spaced locations therealong and the retaining means comprises a retaining member adapted to be inserted in a selected one of these apertures so as to retain the free end in place.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, an exercise device is provided which comprises:
a platform member including a first end which, in use of the device in exercising of the abdominal muscles of a user, is elevated from a supporting surface for the device;
a seat at the first end of said platform on which, in use, the user is seated;
a bowed back support member disposed on the platform adjacent to the seat and presenting a convex curved surface of a longitudinal extent such that the back and head of the user can rest thereon with the user in a backwardly reclining posture;
a belt adapted to fit around the waist of the user during use; and
restraining means adapted to engage a part of the body of the user, during movement of the user from the backwardly reclining posture wherein the back of the user rests against the convex curved surface to a sitting position, so as to increase the force that must be exerted by the abdominal muscles of the user in carrying out the movement.
As in the other implementation, the restraining means preferably comprises a resilient cord or the like affixed at opposite ends thereof to the back support member and disposed under said back support member so that, in use, portions of the cord extend around the arms of the user and an intermediate portion of the cord between the portions loops behind the back support member. Advantageously, the resilient cord includes padding at portions thereof which are adapted to extend around the arms of the user, the seat also includes padding and the device includes further padding on an outwardly facing surface of the back support member. The back support member includes a midpoint and, in a preferred embodiment, the opposite ends of the cord are affixed to the back support member at points which are located on opposite sides thereof and which are spaced from the midpoint in a direction away from the seat. Advantageously, the device further comprises affixing elements secured to opposite sides of the back support member and connected to the opposite ends of said cord, the affixing elements being sized to enable wrapping a portion of the cord therearound so as to adjust cord tension.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, an exercise device is provided for use in exercising the muscles of the abdominal wall of a user, said device comprising:
a platform member including a first end which, in use, is elevated from a supporting surface for the device so that the platform member forms an acute angle with the supporting surface;
a seat at the first end;
a bowed back support member of substantially semicircular shape disposed on the platform adjacent to the seat and presenting a convex curved surface;
a belt affixed to one of the platform member and the back support member and adapted to fit around the waist of the user; and
a resilient cord affixed at opposite ends thereof to the back support member and disposed under the back support member between the back support member and the platform member.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in, or apparent from, the detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof which follows.